What's in a deadline?

Deadline /'ded.lain/ noun [C]: "a time or day by which something must be done" is the official Cambridge definition.

Pass it through the neuron filter of an average builder and you'll end up with something along the lines of: "a time or day which is pie in the sky but which can/may/could [delete as appropriate] appease the client to such an extent to get him off their back.

“See also Multiple broken promises, White lies or Phoney deadlines.”

It's a joke and we're now well beyond the stage where we can take any commitment of delivering within a specific timescale at face value. We've had the original commitment of 16 weeks; we've seen the delays to the roofers; we've had the story about cast iron drain pipes and, of course, the long-running saga about a replacement for the tiler who had to walk the plank. The replacement was promised w/c 31 July; which become Monday 8 August; which became Tuesday; which has finally been promised for tomorrow - but not *just* tomorrow. 8 o'clock tomorrow morning!

Is that a pig flying past the window?